Compass Psychological Support Model for COMP360 Psilocybin Treatment of Serious Mental Health Conditions
American Journal of Psychiatry – January 01, 2025
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Ensuring robust psychological support is paramount when using the hallucinogen psilocybin for mental health. The Compass Psychological Support Model (CPSM) provides a structured framework, guiding psychotherapists to deliver safe, meaningful experiences for individuals in clinical trials receiving investigational COMP360 psilocybin treatment. This approach, vital to clinical psychology and psychiatry, optimizes the therapeutic potential of this medicine, a compound derived from chemical synthesis and alkaloids. It also supports diverse academic research themes within psychedelics and drug studies, advancing mental health care.
Abstract
The psychedelic experience can be challenging. There is a need for a structured framework for providing psychological support to individuals with mental health conditions receiving investigational psilocybin treatment. The primary benefit of such a framework is to support a safe and meaningful psilocybin experience. It also enables future research on the facets of psychological support and/or psychotherapy that most optimally complement psilocybin treatment. The authors describe the Compass Psychological Support Model (CPSM), currently used to support participants with treatment-resistant depression in Compass-sponsored clinical trials of investigational COMP360 psilocybin treatment. The authors also outline the therapist training, mentoring, and fidelity assessment programs they have developed to ensure the quality and consistency of the CPSM delivery.